Excellence Refined - 30 Years - Valero

Valero Bill Greehey Refinery
In its leadership, however, Valero also has been thrust
into the political debate over carbon emissions in 2009.
Proposed legislation to saddle refiners with the lion’s share
of emissions charges prompted sharp rebuke from Valero
and from its CEO. In his testimony before a contentious
Congressional committee in October 2009, Klesse urged
U.S. policymakers to consider the devastating effects of
proposed cap-and-trade legislation – particularly job losses
in the refining industry – if the measure passed.
Speaking on behalf of
Valero and the National
Petrochemical and Refiners
Association (NPRA), which he chaired, Klesse warned
members of the Environment and Public Works Committee
that the proposed “Clean Energy Jobs and American Power
Act” would have a staggering impact on the refining and
petrochemical industry. “Plainly said, this legislation tosses
away our nation’s competitive advantage, further damages
our economy, destroys jobs and threatens our national
security,” Klesse said. At press time, the legislation had not
passed the Senate and will be revisited at a later date.
In its lifetime, Valero has invested $19.5 billion to
improve its refineries. Since 1997, the company has spent
$5.4 billion on regulatory and environmental compliance
work. And with more regulations and fuel specifications on
the horizon, Valero expects to spend another $1.4 billion
over the next several years. “Our company continues to be
a contributor to society,” Klesse said. “We will continue
to honor the commitments we have made to all of our
stakeholders.”
The safety of our employees,
our operations and our communities
is our highest priority.
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Valero Social Responsibility Report, 2009
Safety & Environmental
42